Unwritten Notes
by Laerkstrein
Summary: The creature she remembered seeing looked very much like something a certain captain might create out of boredom. Companion piece to "They're Always Watching."


**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Bleach, _or any of the _Bleach_ characters used in this fic. They all belong to Tite Kubo: the genius behind the captivating manga that started it all. I only own any of my original characters that I choose to include, as well as any of my own original plot ideas.

**Unwritten Notes**

**A/N: **Follow-up to "They're Always Watching."

* * *

><p>Mortified wasn't a good enough term to convene how she was feeling. In fact, Isane didn't think that anything she said would be enough to make people understand. The closest she could get to expressing it, if she thought hard enough, was to say that someone had gone and clipped her wings with a paralyzing shock, allowing her to dip right out of the wind current, plummeting straight towards earth. Or, perhaps, she was a fish with a hook down her throat. The pain and salty tang bubbling in her mouth as she struggled to get free.<p>

No, neither of those would do, and the latter was... really quite revolting.

As she always did after a nightmare, Isane paced around her room, clapping the beads in her hair together within a hand. Oh, what would she say this time? Captain Unohana had, on more than one occasion, said that she was more than welcome to come and talk about her fears, even in the dead of night. Still, it felt very wrong to do this all the time, as Isane felt that she was taking advantage of her captain's kindness.

But, if she didn't go, how would she ever get back to sleep?

With what little courage she could muster, the lieutenant slipped out of her room and down the hallways, careful not to fall or whine. It wouldn't do if she accidentally woke someone up. It would be positively horrid, and she'd feel even worse, having to incessantly apologize.

She drew a blank, traversing those halls, recalling the images that had startled her into this state. It had seemed to be a peaceful enough dream, having tea with Lieutenants Ise, Iba, and Captain Zaraki in a very peculiar garden. Initially, it had been quite funny, seeing such strong men holding and sipping at their tea cups so daintily. Especially Iba, what with his ideas of "what it takes to be a man."

The part with Captain Zaraki had been particularly disturbing, though: Dipping crackers into the drink with a smile on his face.

The conversation had been nothing to her ears, just a strange buzz. She had then looked down at her tea and spoon, joyously observing the pattern on the fine chine, only to suddenly realize that the liquid in her cup had grown eyes as it began to slosh around, grinning up at her.

"Curiouser and curiouser," it had said in a high-pitched child's voice, giggling.

Upon waking, the poor lieutenant had screamed, cowering beneath her pillow. But, when she'd come to think more about the matter, it hadn't been so much the tea coming to life as the idea she'd been struck with shortly after. The creature she remembered seemed an awful lot like something a certain captain might create out of pure boredom.

Really, that had been what scared her the most.

The door that led outside was pushed with shaking hands, the lieutenant biting her lip as she walked along the south side of the veranda. She caught wind of it, the fresh scent of heated tea, lingering around from the east. Had her dream not been about tea that seemed interested in killing her, then perhaps she would have been excited.

Leaning around the corner, Isane's eyes grew to the size of soba buns, an immediate chill accompanying the sweat that was now on her brow. She shuddered, now wishing that she'd just stayed in her room.

Her captain was sitting there, laughing at something that Captain Kurotsuchi didn't seem to find funny at all. In fact, he looked rather perplexed, as if he were trying to figure out exactly what the other found humorous. Well, that was reason enough for Isane to leave. Nothing particularly bothersome was going on, but she still wanted nothing to do with the man. Ghoulish paint or not.

"Another bad dream, Isane?"

The lieutenant suddenly straightened up, trudging out from behind her cover, eyes glued to the floor. She'd forgotten that her captain seemed to have a sixth sense.

"Y-Yes, ma'am," she said hastily, trying not to stumble over her feet the way she had with her words.

She felt like she was dying, with those eyes on her. Like someone had taken a power drill to her head. As quickly as the feeling had come, it abruptly dissipated, prompting Isane to look hesitantly at her captain.

"You look ill," the woman said, looking remorseful. She held up a cup. "Would you like something to drink?"

Isane trembled, shaking her head as she sat down on the opposite side of her captain. No, she did not want tea, thank you very much. It was still quite uncomfortable for her to be sitting here with the drink spewing off smoke. And it didn't help at all knowing she'd interrupted something, but at least he wasn't paying her any mind.

As her captain continued the conversation, Isane chanced a glance at him, noting that he looked positively bored. He just sat there, staring straight ahead. No, that wasn't it at all. When men like Mayuri Kurotsuchi got bored... _things _happened. She tilted her head slightly, trying to work out exactly what was going on. Not it was any of her business, really. She was just curious.

Isane felt her heart jump as he grimaced, pressing a hand to his forehead. "Oh, _God_..."

Her captain laughed, fingers trailing through his hair. "That will teach you to ignore me," she said, shaking her head. "I _told _you not to listen to Shunsui."

Captain Kurotsuchi... listening to Captain Kyoraku? Now, that didn't make any sense. Anyone with eyes could tell that the former hated the drunkard. After all, the latter _had _been known to snoop around the Twelfth for information so as to avoid filling out any tedious paperwork.

"Ngh... Didn't think you were serious..."

Isane suddenly found herself laughing quietly, hands pressed against her mouth. _Now _she understood. It was common knowledge that those who trusted Captain Kyoraku, such as Lieutenants Hisagi and Kira, ended up with far more than they could handle in the wonderful world of the wasted. Alcohol, that is. Somehow, the man had a way with convincing fellow officers to "try it for fun."

Apparently, Captain Kurotsuchi hadn't caught the memo.

"It's an unwritten rule," her captain said, laughing. "I would have thought that you would know that. _Especially _when it involves people who don't _follow rules_."

Obviously, that last part had something to do with him. Though, Isane got the feeling that, should she ask, the answer wouldn't be something she wanted to think about.

"Did you want to talk about your dream?"

Isane's eyes widened again, furiously shaking her head. "N-No, that's all right!" she insisted. "I-I'll just..."

"Leave?"

"You be quiet," her captain said, clamping a hand over his mouth. "Isane, if you'd like to stay, you're more than welcome."

The lieutenant feigned a grin as she stood. "Thank you, Captain, but I'm fine now. I'll just go back to bed."

And so she did, slinking down the halls and into her room as quickly and quietly as possible. Even if she was horrified of her dream, and Captain Kurotsuchi, she couldn't let it get to her. Captain Unohana had always been very kind to her, and, now, Isane felt it was time she returned the favor.


End file.
